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Before the entrance to the palace itself stood twomilitary sentries in field
gray. Being Sunday, the usualweek-day crowd was lacking in the dining room. It
is likewise the dividing-line between peace and war. That is true of all meals
in hotels or restaurants.
The Elephant Houseis the name of Weimars splendid new
hotel.
With our heavy schedule, we rose early and descended to an
amazingbreakfast for wartime Germany. They seemedstolidly casual with
expressionless faces.
Houses and factoriesare alike built chiefly of dull
yellow brick, further dulled bysoft-coal smoke. Here it was interesting to note
thequantity of captured Polish rolling-stock.
These conferences are usually
held in a large oblong room, elaboratelypaneled.
Now he was in theAmerican
Section of the Foreign Office, so I counted on him to startme right.
No ray of
white light anywhere, and exceptalong the railway no hooded blues. Nowhere did
I seeragged, unkempt persons.
Before proceeding on our way we were lined
upbefore one of the buses and had our picture taken.
The broad avenue of Unter
denLinden was a maw of blackness. The Germansconsidered that the height of
tactful courtesy.
My American seat-mate slapped me onthe knee. Heusually knows
more and sees clearer than a diplomat of the
samecaliber.
Toweringmountain-peaks on either hand shot far up into the
night.
Before proceeding on our way we were lined upbefore one of the buses and
had our picture taken.
He is doing a fine diplomatic job in a mostdifficult
post. She disappeared, returning a moment later wearing araincoat. The others
gave the stiff-armed Nazi greeting.
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